Justification

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of

Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery”

(OMB Control Number: 2030-0051; EPA ICR Number: 2434.280)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Customer Satisfaction Surveys for Feedback on Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities

PURPOSE:

The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides funding to multiple technical assistance providers working with brownfield communities across all 10 EPA regions. Technical assistance is provided by regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) cooperative agreement recipients, as well as other specialized cooperative agreement recipients and contractors. The training and research to be conducted will assist communities in cleaning up and reusing contaminated brownfield properties, while leveraging jobs and protecting health and the environment.

With this generic information collection, technical assistance providers seek authorization to collect information from program participants (i.e., communities and relevant stakeholders) who receive services or products such as guidance, information, and training needed to address their brownfields challenges. This information will primarily be collected through focus groups or in conjunction with a brownfield training or informational event. Focus groups will collect targeted information in moderated group settings. The information collection will allow technical assistance providers to better understand the needs of program participants and identify pathways to best address those needs.

Brownfields technical assistance programs support Executive Order 13895.These efforts will seek input, ideas, recommendations, and feedback to guide future technical assistance and services provided.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Program participants will vary but may include community leaders, community members, community-based organization staff, locally elected officials, and local government staff. Participants are often from underserved communities and communities in remote and rural areas, including Indian Country and territories. The target audiences for this effort will be the recipients of technical assistance services and products and other participating technical assistance providers.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [X] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software) [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [ X] No

2. If yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ X] No

a. The information collected from the technical assistance providers will vary in retention methods but will not include databases with PII.

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [ X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (per respondent)	Burden Hours
Individuals or Households	100	2 minutes	3.33
Private Sector	350	2 minutes	11.66
State, local, or tribal governments	500	2 minutes	16.66
Totals	950	2 minutes	31.65 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $0.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents, and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe?

[ ] Yes [ X] No

The technical assistance providers will stand-up websites, email listservs, and intake forms to identify people who are seeking services. Providers, including TABs, will regularly communicate with members of the public who have self-selected as needing technical assistance and capacity-building services. Participation in the focus groups and surveys will be a subsect of those seeking assistance, based on their areas of need and is completely voluntary.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ X] Other, Explain - A Customer Satisfaction Survey may be supported virtually or in person

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ ] Yes [ X] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: Cassidy L. Peterson